A Grip on Sports: From batting cages to mini golf, summer activities are not wasted on the young
A GRIP ON SPORTS • There are certain sports-related activities one can only do in the summertime. And when you are young (or youngish). Watching someone swinging a bat at a batting cage the other day – on a TV show, of course – got me to thinking what I miss about being a youngish person as the days are long and warmer.
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• We could spend this morning lamenting the coronavirus numbers nationally – a record – and how that puts the resumption of every sport, from the professional ranks to the youngest youth activities, in danger. But we’ve been dwelling on that a lot. And it seems counter productive to bang that drum over and over, mainly because of the dirge-like nature of the tune.
Instead, we thought we would take a peak at happier times. And happier activities.
One of them is that aforementioned batting cage visit. What better way to encapsulate summer than putting on an oversized helmet, finding an old bat that fit your hand, pouring a bunch of quarters into a machine and then trying to make contact with a Nolan Ryan-speed fastball.
Swing. Miss. Swing. Foul. Swing. Liner. Another liner. One more. Miss. And the arm stops. Up comes the shirt tail. Eyes are wiped. And two more quarters are dropped into the slot. The arm starts moving again.
Heaven.
Of course, it’s not all that far away from Hell, either. That’s where the overbearing dad sits just outside the chain-link, fingers intertwined with the fence, critiquing every aspect of his son’s or daughter’s swing. “Head still.” “You’re dropping your shoulder.” “Are you trying to miss?” “Hell with it. Let me show you.”
Just recalling such moments gave me the shivers. Let’s move on. How about stopping at miniature golf? Warm summer evenings, your best girl (or boy) with you, a cold drink and the stupidity of trying to put a lime-green rubberized golf ball past an ogre, through a windmill and into a shallow hole sunk in concrete and surrounded by green carpet.
The laughter was contagious. To be honest, for a few years there, miniature golf was my go-to activity for a first date. Dinner at Hamburger Hamlet – classy enough to impress but, you know, hamburgers – and a round of miniature golf at the local activity center. Maybe I should have learned my lesson – way too many first dates; hardly any second ones – but I kept plugging along, looking for that elusive round with 18 holes-in-one. I knew, just knew, my miniature golf skills would impress enough to lead to a lifetime of happiness.
What was it the old man said in “It’s Wonderful Life?” Ya. Youth is wasted on the young.
Not really, though. Climbing a mountain just to drink an adult beverage at the top, now that’s a young-person activity that wasn’t a waste. The very first time I experienced that summertime activity came in June of 1974 – don’t do the math; I was too young for the experience though I do believe the statute of limitations has expired – at Big Sur. It was the week after high school graduation, I was with a group of friends from St. Francis and we had driven Highway 1 for a couple weeks of camping, hiking and evenings spent looking at the sunset over the Pacific Ocean. We vowed to repeat the activity every summer for the rest of our lives. The pledge lasted one more year.
Maybe it was because I had become too busy honing my short game. There was a golf course near where I lived that had lights. A par-three course. With lights. There is something special about playing golf at 10 p.m. Sometimes even barefoot. Now if that doesn’t scream “summer,” I don’t know what does.
Maybe taking a bike ride just before midnight. Or congregating at the house of the kid with the slip-and-slide. Or climbing on the roof of your house to watch fireworks on July 4. Or seeing how many waves you can catch before you lose your swim fin for good.
When I was really young, my parents had a street-light rule. It didn’t matter what you did all day – playing over-the-line or climbing into the hills or bike riding to McDonald’s – as long as you got home by the time the street lights came on.
It was a good rule. Freedom and responsibility rolled into one.
After all, the many joys of summer activities can cause one to lose track of time in the usual sense – “hey, I’ve got to get home” – and in a larger, more overarching sense – “hey, I thought I would be young forever.”
Sadly, only one of those things is true.
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Gonzaga: What, the Gonzaga section and not one basketball story? What the hay? Yep. Today, we pass along stories about baseball. Dave Nichols has one. He focuses on the connection between GU and one of baseball’s storied franchises, the St. Louis Cardinals. An interesting history, that’s for sure. … That’s not all, however. Connor Gilbert has a piece on how the short nature of this year’s draft means more Zag players will be returning next season. … OK, we have a basketball story. It’s from Florida and it describes why the newest Zag is a good fit.
WSU: Around the Pac-12 and college sports, a couple Washington athletes tested positive for the coronavirus and are being isolated. It’s not a surprise, is it? (By the way, the state released its guidelines for colleges and universities yesterday. Remember, the schools have to open for athletics to occur.) … Colorado’s players are optimistic they’ll be playing in the fall. … So is the NCAA President. … Utah welcomed in a football transfer. … Arizona State men’s basketball coach Bobby Hurley has reached across the pond for an inside player. … Oregon has hired a soccer coach with a strong resume. … Another Oregon State baseball player has signed and will not be back.
EWU: One of the unintended consequences of liberalizing the NCAA’s transfer rules is their effect on lower-level schools. It’s happening in basketball and it’s happening in football. Ryan Collingwood takes a look today at the latter, especially how it relates to the FCS and FBS levels.
Mariners: The M’s are ready to hit the field again. General manager Jerry Dipoto talked yesterday about what’s ahead. … Baseball’s new rules don’t sit well with some, but it is a short season, so why not try some new things?
Seahawks: Chris Carson has a new agent as he enters a contract year.
Sounders: Seattle will return to the pitch on July 10.
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• Let’s see. When you’re young, summer activities include running through a sprinkler and shooting hoops in the park. When you’re, well, no longer young, summer activities include mowing the lawn and spraying weeds. There is a clear winner, isn’t there? Wait. Did you hear the train conductor? Didn’t he just call out, “Next stop, Willoughby; Willoughby, next stop?” Maybe I should visit for a while. Until later …